@article{6038,
  author = {Lisa M. Kalisch and Gillian E. Caughey and John D. Barratt and Emmae N. Ramsay and Graeme Killer and Andrew L. Gilbert and Elizabeth E. Roughead},
  title = {Prevalence of preventable medication-related hospitalizations in Australia: an opportunity to reduce harm.},
  abstract = {<p><b>OBJECTIVE: </b>To identify the prevalence of potentially preventable medication-related hospitalizations amongst elderly Australian veterans by applying clinical indicators to administrative claims data.</p><p><b>DESIGN AND SETTING: </b>Retrospective cohort study in the Australian veteran population from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2008.</p><p><b>PARTICIPANTS: </b>A total of 109 044 veterans with one or more hospitalizations defined by the medication-related clinical indicator set, during the 5-year study period.</p><p><b>MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: </b>The prevalence of potentially preventable medication-related hospitalizations as a proportion of all hospitalizations defined by the clinical indicator set.</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>During the 5-year study period, there were a total of 1 630 008 hospital admissions of which 216 527 (13.3%) were for conditions defined by the medication-related clinical indicator set for 109 044 veterans. The overall proportion of potentially preventable medication-related hospitalizations was 20.3% (n= 43 963). Of the 109 044 veterans included in the study, 28 044 (25.7%) had at least one potentially preventable medication-related hospitalization and 7245 (6.6%) veterans had two or more potentially preventable admissions. Conditions with both a high prevalence of hospitalization and preventability included asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, depression and thromboembolic cerebrovascular event (23.3, 18.5 and 18.3%, respectively, were potentially preventable). Other hospitalizations that were less common but had a high level of preventability (at least 20%) included hip fracture, impaction, renal failure, acute confusion, bipolar disorder and hyperkalaemia.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS: </b>The results of this study highlight those conditions where hospitalizations could potentially be avoided through improved medication management. Strategies to increase the awareness, identification and resolution of these medication-related problems contributing to these hospitalizations are required in Australia.</p>},
  year = {2012},
  journal = {Int J Qual Health Care},
  volume = {24},
  pages = {239-49},
  month = {06/2012},
  issn = {1464-3677},
  doi = {10.1093/intqhc/mzs015},
  language = {eng},
}